The Red Sox had a chance to keep their run rolling on July 21, but their pitching plans took a hit before they even got to first pitch.
Ranger Suarez, who has been on the injured list since July 6 with a groin issue, was not listed to start the second game of Boston’s series against the Baltimore Orioles. Eduardo Rivera got the nod instead, a change reported hours before the game by Ari Alexander of 7News Boston. Christopher Smith of MassLive suggested the Sox were simply giving Suarez an extra day after he threw a bullpen session on July 20 to show he was healthy.
That switch matters because Boston had been expecting Suarez’s IL stay to be short from the beginning. After the club’s June 20 win against the Orioles, it was reported that Suarez would start the next day. Instead, the timetable shifted again.
Suarez has been a strong arm when available. The All-Star has a 3.15 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP across 91.1 innings.
Rivera, meanwhile, has given Boston useful innings since joining the team. In three appearances, he has allowed three runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and four walks over 9.1 innings. The Red Sox have won both games he started in July, though he did not go beyond 3.2 innings in either outing.
Boston also made another roster move before facing the Orioles, transferring reliever Zack Kelly to the 60-day IL. That opens a 40-man roster spot and leaves the Red Sox with 39 players on the roster.
Kelly had already been on the seven-day IL since July 7 because of elbow inflammation, and he has been in Triple-A since May 22. Before the injury, he had a 5.71 ERA over 17.1 innings with the WooSox and a 3.31 ERA in 16.1 innings with the big league club.
The Red Sox are already thin on pitching depth with Suarez sidelined, along with Garrett Crochet, Johan Oviedo, Connelly Early and Kutter Crawford. Brayan Bello has shifted into a relief role after struggling in the rotation, and he looked sharp in his lone appearance there. With Kelly out of the picture, Boston could lean on Bello even more.
In Other News...
Red Sox Suddenly Face A Risky Deadline Reunion Debate
The Red Sox have spent much of this season looking like a club that can pitch with anyone, which is why they remain in the playoff race and why any deadline conversation now comes with a little more ambition attached. Even so, the next few weeks could force Boston to think beyond simple bullpen depth or a modest bench upgrade, especially if San Diego decides to explore ways to reshape its roster and move a veteran name with real familiarity in Boston.
Any reunion talk would come with plenty of baggage, starting with the long-term money still attached and the question of whether the player would even be willing to sign off on a move. From the Red Sox perspective, the appeal is obvious: a chance to add a proven bat to a team trying to hold its place in the race. But the real intrigue is whether Boston would be willing to get pulled into a bigger deal if the Padres also made a premium late-inning arm part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Lose A Key Piece As Red Sox Series Suddenly Shifts
The Orioles lineup took a hit at an awkward time, with their series against the Red Sox arriving while Baltimore is already trying to keep pace in the division race. Adley Rutschman has been one of the most important pieces of that effort, so any absence behind the plate changes the feel of a matchup that already had plenty riding on it.
Baltimore filled the roster spot by bringing up Chadwick Tromp from Triple-A Norfolk, a move that at least gives the Orioles another catching option as they navigate the next stretch. For Boston, the timing matters too, because a series that looked like a test against one of the American Leagues steadier clubs suddenly looks a little different with a key Orioles regular unavailable. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Trade Idea Sparks Familiar Catcher Debate
The catcher market always gets complicated when a team is trying to balance present need against future value, and that is why Jim Bowdens latest trade idea is the kind of proposal that catches the eye. The concept centers on a 26-year-old backstop who has already shown real middle-of-the-order production, with 30 homers, a .886 OPS, 2.6 bWAR and two All-Star selections giving him a profile that is easy to understand for a contender and just as easy to covet for a club looking to reshape its roster.
For Boston, the appeal is obvious enough: a catcher who can help now and perhaps change the shape of the lineup. For Colorado, the question is whether a possible sell-off at the deadline could turn one premium bat into a wider return of pitching and position-player talent, including a mix of big league and upper-minors pieces. It is the familiar kind of debate that follows any aggressive deadline idea, where the fit makes sense on paper but the real challenge is deciding how much certainty a team is willing to give up for one player. [Read more 🡒]